Several artists meet at The Studio/Salon. With the purpose of promoting a multidisciplinary approach toward art, visual artists, musicians, singers, actors, storytellers and even dancers would come in and play, interpret and discuss an idea, showing a diversity of opinions and styles about just one subject.

The interaction between the diversity of opinions would facilitate a more accurate understanding of each other's thoughts, acting as a 'mind opener' in the widest sense of the word. At the same time, it will promote or emphasize everybody's creativity through a challenge: the need to do the best.

Chelsey Braham

Chelsey Braham, a Canadian born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is a multi-media artist practicing painting, interior design, construction and the performing arts on Vancouver Island since 1998.She studied Visual Arts at Malaspina University-college in Nanaimo, where she lives and works.She says:" I enjoy painting but am most excited when many art forms are integrated and have a relationship; like music, dance, painting, fashion, all working together". This unique combination of skills has given her the opportunity to exhibit her work, create installations and performance pieces in many different contexts and venues. Chelsey's painting style blends technical skills with spontaneous happenings and often explores the Canadian landscape incorporating her own photography as well as found photos." When I create art I have an idea of what I am saying but prefer the viewer to draw their own meaning from the work" she says.

Nana Cook

Canadian artist & writer, lives in Nanoose Bay, BC. Although known primarily for her paintings of the American Southwest - a land she has loved & explored since childhood, Nana is also compelled to paint the dramatic beauty surrounding her in the Pacific Northwest and has created an extensive body of work featuring the region's extraordinary arbutus trees. Nana worked in the arts for over twenty years before beginning to paint with acrylics in 1997. She chose acrylics as the quick drying medium makes an ideal choice for her spontaneous plain air painting while she travels the Southwest and paints the moments that etch their mark on her being and infuses her paintings with dramatic colors, exciting perspective, humor, spirituality and thought provoking subjects.

Rod Corraini

A well known Nanaimo based visual artist and writer, Rod is an accomplished painter with degrees from Malaspina University College and art studies at Victoria University. Among his numerous shows and exhibitions, it's worth to point out that he has created many bodies of work on different subjects, like the series dedicated to “Jazz Players”, “Flowers from my garden”, an lately to the “Nanaimo Skies” showing his mastering on oil, acrylic, bees-wax and water based oil paints. He has published a lot of art articles in newspapers and specialized magazines.He says: "Rhythm and movement are both important elements to all my works and if achieved successfully ate a key to what makes each piece and body of work great. I see my exploration of art as a life long study and I always eagerly anticipate and visualize the future and I'm always open to change whether gradual or spontaneous"

"Gnocchis" 12"x12" -oil on canvas- 2008

"Poverty" 8"x5"- Oil on canvas - 2008

Mary Jane Jessen

Mary Jane Jessen was born in Moncton, NB and moved to Victoria, BC with her family in 1969. She was always drawing and painting as a child and began taking private art lessons in the early 1970s. Over the years, she studied in several art institutions including Victoria College of Art, North Island College Campbell River and Vancouver Island University. In addition to this, she studied painting with Victor Arcega for three years. In 2002, she graduated from Emily Carr Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Art in the Visual Arts. Mary Jane has followed in the footsteps of many past and contemporary artists through her lengthy career in the graphic arts and commercial printing industry." Design has given me the marketing and communication skills needed to be a professional artist, and the visual art has enabled me to communicate my political opinions and ideas creatively", she says. In 2003, Mary Jane started on a new career path that includes freelance book design for New Society Publishers, painting and teaching. She is a visiting artist at Gabriola Elementary's Art Club, and conducts school tours for the Nanaimo Art Gallery.

Peter Kurpita

Peter Kurpita, pianist, has recently returned from a ten year sojourn in Austria where he was a professor of Piano and Accompaniment at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz. Peter is now living, teaching and performing in Nanaimo. He began his music studies with Mary Skipsey here in his home town. He received his Masters of Music Degree at UBC in 1989, where he studied with Jane Coop, Lee Kum-sing (Chamber Music), and Rena Sharon (Vocal Accompaniment).

Peter has performed with orchestras in Europe, Japan and Canada, and accompanied such artists as Barbara Bonney (soprano), Joseph Alessi, (Principal trombone, NY Philharmonic), and Wolfgang Tombock (Principal horn, Vienna Philharmonic). Nanaimo audiences will recall his performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in 2002 with the Vancouver Island Symphony under Marlin Wolfe.

He is an active visitant of the Studio/Salon and has performed beautifully accompanying Christine McMahon in 'Carmen' and 'Oh Sole Mio'. He played Chopin's Nocturne in F sharp major,Op.15/2. His CD -"Meine Freuden"- works for solo piano, recorded at The Port Theatre, could be ordered at the Studio/Salon.

Christine McMahon

Christine McMahon, soprano, is a professional singer and voice teacher with career experience on both the Canadian and German stage. In Nanaimo she has been a frequent recitalist, and a soloist with the Vancouver Island Symphony, the Palm Court Orchestra, and the Malaspina Choir. In addition to her over twenty years experience teaching private voice lessons, Christine is also a popular workshop leader, choir director, and certified Kripalu Yoga teacher. She is a Faculty member of the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music and also teaches privately at her Voice Alive Music Studio.

Ms. McMahon is a graduate of Brandon University, Mc Gill University in Montreal, the Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie in Detmold, Germany and the Faculty of Education, Univ. of Toronto. She is also a recent student of the Argentine Tango and made her first trip to Buenos Aires in April for further studies.

She is another friend of the Studio/Salon. She will be performing different german and italian songs, along with Peter Kurpita, the 26 of June from 7.30PM to 10PM.

Jan Smart

Canadian artist with a Bachelor degree of Fine Arts from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (ECIAD)Vancouver, BC, in 1981, and a Diploma in Recreation Administration (leisure Services) from Malaspina University- College,Nanaimo, BC. Jane Smart has had, in solo or group exhibitions, the following shows: ‘ Dan/sing'; ‘ RE-chercher'; ‘Brandy and Summer Gloves'; ‘Ataraxia'; ‘Viewer/Voyeur'; ‘Pre-Echoes' at the Portfolio Gallery, Vancouver, BC/2000/2003. Also: ‘Mmmmh! Featured', Nanaimo Art Gallery- “Fruits and Labors”; The Artery Gallery, Nanaimo, BC;” Rites of Spring”: ; The Nanaimo Arts Council Gallery, Nanaimo, and many other group shows in Ottawa, Vancouver , Victoria and Whistler. Her pieces are collected in public and private institutions in Canada, and in the USA and she is represented by British Columbia prestigious art galleries.

Lee Stead

A Nanaimo based artist and potter, Lee Stead describes herself in this paragraph:

"Be it masks or mugs, pitchers or platters, creating with clay makes my heart race. Pottery is the most recent source of artistic satisfaction in my journey through art and life."

"Having celebrated form and shape with clay since 1998, I've eagerly awaited opening my kilns after each and every one of my firings. My pots come from my raku, electric and gas kilns, as well as the Tozan wood-fired kiln. My handbuilt creations are wonderfully enhanced by the magical combination of the fire and the glazes that dance over the surfaces of my pottery."

"Always eager for new ways in which to explore and express myself, I have participated in several pottery and sculpture classes and workshops. Art has always been a great source of balance in my life. I have explored many different mediums, each one contributing to the playful, whimsical pottery that comes from my hands today".

Lina De Guevara

Graduated as Actress and Instructor of Drama, University of Chile, Institute of
Theater, School of Dramatic Arts, Santiago, Chile, Lina de Guevara upgraded her training in Canada attending workshops with instructors such as Augusto Boal, Richard Fowler, Bisia Belina and Judith Koltai.

She is the founder and Artistic Director of PUENTE Theatre, to create plays, videos and other works
about the experiences of immigrants in Canada.She wrote and directed the following plays: “Patriot in Search of a Country “(co-writer: Grace Chan), “Storytelling Our Lives, On Tour”, “Story Mosaic”, “Theatre Against Racism”, “Act Now Against Racism”, “Sisters/Strangers”, “Familya”, “Of Roots and Racism”, “Canadian
Tango- Forum” (presented at the 7th Theatre of the Oppressed Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) “VIDA Theatre-
Forum”, “Canadian Tango”, “Crossing Borders” (presented at the Popular Theatre Festival, Edmonton 1991),“I wasn't born here” (presented at the Popular Theatre Festival, Guelph, 1989) and many other plays. She lives and performs in Victoria, BC, and later during the year will be "Storytelling" at the Studio/Salon.

June Jefferies

June Jefferies has a minor in Fine Arts from Malaspina University College as the lesser part of a BA degree, but rarely practices now. Watercolour is her favourite medium but she says that "it does not appeal to a public raised on brilliant west coast colour".
Music is her first love and she is experienced in piano,solo and accompaniment, and to a lesser extent, violin.Somewhere in her past there is a formal qualification in music theory. All her amateur loves and practices were maintained and supported by some wonderful teachers, all younger than her, whilst working as a Probation and After Care Officer in U.K. and waiting for her four chidren to grow up.

June is a committed supporter of the arts in Nanaimo -where she lives now- and can be seen peering, chatting and listening at receptions and concerts.

Odette Laramee

Odette Laramee has a long-standing passion for integrating art forms and
working across sectors. Between leap and loll she does video production,
play writing, arts-based research, as well as local and international
community engagement projects featuring 4 metre puppets. Over the years she
has written poetry to explore the political, the sensual, and the sublime.
She notes, "the poetry writes itself when I can get out of the way".

Cristina Alvarez Magliano - Fine art in Marquetry

The Studio/Salon

Chelsey Braham

Nana Cook

Rod Corraini

Mary Jane Jessen

Peter Kurpita

Christine McMahon

Jan Smart

Lee Stead

Lina De Guevara

June Jefferies

Odette Laramee